ALBANY – The Bloomberg administration and an influential state senator yesterday called on the Assembly to pass legislation cracking down on illegal MetroCard sales in the subway.

“Illegal swipers rob other riders and starve the subways and buses of the money they need,” said Bloomberg spokesman Jordan Barowitz. “We urge the Assembly to expeditiously pass the legislation.”

The renewed push came after a Post investigation revealed that the problem was reaching epidemic proportions.

The Senate passed legislation in May to create the crime of aggravated loitering in a transportation facility in order to sell access to the subways through unauthorized rider cards.

The bill, which would make the practice punishable with up to one year in jail, but has lingered in committee in the Assembly.

“The state Assembly’s inaction on this legislation is jeopardizing the safety and the budget of our transit system,” Senate bill sponsor Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) said yesterday in response to the Post story on Sunday.

The Post reported that scores of black market vendors are re-activating expired or spent MetroCards and selling them for 50 cents or $1. The Transit Authority says the scam is costing the MTA $260,000 annually.